Shipping bundle for rail anchors



Feb. 27, 1945. F. A. PRESTON 2,370,417

- SHIPPING BUNDLE FOR RAIL ANCHORS Filed Dec. 28, 1942 I 2 W /7 it? INVENTOR W 4 W BY M) 7/ A TTOR/VE Y Patented Feb. 27, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,370,417 r a Y SHIPPING BUNDLE. Fort RAIL ANCHORS Frederick -A. Pre'ston, Lake Forest, 111., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Poor & C ompany, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application December 28, 1'942,' 'Serial No. 470,400

5 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in bundles for shipping rail anchors.

It has been customary heretofore to ship rail anchor devices in burlap bags. Such bags,'when used as shipping containers, have several advantages over other forms of bundles, but they also have certain undesirable features in that the bag conceals the type of anchor enclosed, makes it difficult to check the number or inspect the which is bulky and difficult to handle.

The principal object of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned and other disadvantages incident to the use of burlap bags for shipping rail anchor devices. In this connection the invention contemplates the provision of a relatively rigid open bundle which facilitates convenient casual inspection of the anchor devices'to determine their type and markings andwhich will facilitate the handling and storage of the anchor devices for shipment.

In th manufacture of rail anchors, the devices, when removed from the'forming machine,

are placed in a bin for inspection. It has'been customary, heretofore, for the inspector, after applying the anchorsto a measuringgauge, to return all approved devices to the bin where they are subsequently counted and placed in bags for shipment by other workmen. However, the present invention aims to provide a rail'anchor bundle which can be'readily and conveniently'formed by the inspector without interfering with his other duties.

Fig. 3 is'a vertical section takenthrough the middle of the bundle.

Accordin to the invention, anchor devices arranged in balanced groups at-opposite ends of the frame, are firmly secured to the frame both by frictional grips exerted by the anchor devices and In this connection the improved, bundle of the present invention includes'aframe l0 condition of the anchors, and provides a bundle by separate binding means. The balanced arrangement of the groups of anchors facilitates handling of the bundles in that the weight of the anchor devices on the supporting frames is so distributed that a workman can conveniently carry two bundles at one time, one for either. hand. (j

The supporting frame I0 i preferably in the form of a slab formed with a centrally arranged opening I l which defines the lower edge of a convenient hand grip I2. One face, designated l3, of the frame, adjacent the upper edge'thereof, is inclined toward the opposite face thereof to provide the frame with a wedge shaped con-' tourin cross section. The fram is 'made'preferably, though not necessarily, of wood so that it will be relatively light in weight andso that the gripping'surfaces of the anchor devicesmay conipress the surfaces of'the frame engaged if necessary' to force the anchor devices onto the frame. The rail anchors of the bundles may be of any known'construction, including a hook-shaped jaw l8 which engage over the lower'edge of the-supporting frame and thereby hold each individual anchor device from lengthwise movement transversely'of'the frame in a direction to disengage the hook from the upper edge of the frame.

While'the specific form of anchor herein shown includes the locking shoulder l8, other known forms of locking means may be provided, depending upon the specific form of anchor which is to be mounted on th frame. The anchor devices, in-each case, would be'mounted on the frame'in the same manner as they are" mounted on the base portion of the railroad rail but with less gripping pressure.

It will be observed that the railanchor devices herein shown may be mounted on the frame by placing the hook portion over the'wedge shaped edge .of the frame and then moving the anchor 'devices in the direction of their lengthtransversely of the frame until the locking; shoulder i t engages over the lower-"edge l9- of-the frame.

When the said frame is made of wood, the surfaces of the wood will yield sufliciently to permit The body portion iii of each anchor the shoulder to move to its applied position. When the frame is made of more rigid gnaterial, the anchor device itself will yield sufiiciently to permit the shoulder to move to its locking position.

The engagement of the shoulder I8 with the lower edge of the frame, together with the engagement of the hook portion IS with the wedge portion of the frame, maintains the individual anchors at right angles to the longitudinal edges of the frame and resists any force tending to move the anchors to positions diagonally across the frame. Accidental displacement of the anchors is also resisted by reason of their arrangement in parallel with the sides of adjacent anchors engaged. With such arrangement, an anchor intermediate the ends of the group cannot be displaced to a diagonal position without affecting a similar displacement of all anchors of the group. Such a displacement of intermediate anchors is, therefore, resisted by the gripping force of all anchor devices of the group. Furthermore the anchor devices of each group are preferably secured to the supporting frame by means of wire loops 2!! which clamp the anchor devices together and to the frame member. Preferably the wires extend through holes 21 formed in the frame adjacent opposite ends of each group of anchor devices so that the end portions 22-22 of the wire loops will serve as abutments for the rail anchor devices at opposite ends of each group. The ends of each wire loop are twisted about each other to draw the anchor devices tightly together. In the specific form of anchor herein shown the major portion of the body of adjacent anchors are held in spaced relation by the lateral bulge portions 23, 24 and 25 which result during the forming of the anchor. However, these lateral bulges of metal are held tightly clamped together by means of the said wire loops 28-20, which engage body portions of all anchors of each group.

The simplicity of the bundle structure makes it practicable for the workman charged with the duty of inspecting the devices in regard to their size and contour to also form the bundle. This can be done without interfering with the other work of the inspector and therefore effects a substantial saving in labor.

While the invention has been illustrated herein in connection with one specific embodiment of supporting frame and in connection with a specific form and arrangement of rail anchor devices thereon, it will be understood that the illustration of the specific structure is employed for the purpose of convenience and is not intended as a limitation of the invention. It will, therefore, be understood'that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction shown and described except insofar as they appear in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rail anchor bundle comprising a wood frame member formed near its middle with an opening defining one edge of a hand grip, a group of rail anchors arranged on the frame member at opposite sides of the said opening and in balanced relation to each other, each anchor device comprising a body portion formed at one end with a hook adapted to fit over the upper edge portion of the frame and provided at its other end with means for engaging over the opposite edge of said frame, binding wires extending through holes in the frame adjacent the anchors at opposite ends of each group and having their ends twisted together to form loops extending around the said groups of anchors to bind them firmly to the frame.

2. A rail anchor bundle comprising a supporting frame in the form of a slab of greater length than the width provided with one longitudinal marginal portion of wedge shape in cross section and having a centrally disposed hand-hold to facilitate carrying the bundle, groups of rail anchors mounted on said frame at opposite sides of said hand-hold in balanced relation, each anchor including means for receiving the wedge shaped portion of the frame and means for engaging over the opposite edge of the frame to lock the anchors in position thereon.

3. A rail anchor bundle comprising a supporting frame in the form of a slab of greater length than width, the upper longitudinal margin of which is tapered in thickness to provide a wedge shaped portion and provided also with a centrally disposed hand-hold to facilitate carrying the bundle, a plurality of anchor devices arranged in groups and mounted on said frame in balanced relation at opposite sides of said handhold, each of said anchor devices including a body member formed at one end with a hook portion adapted to fit over and frictionally grip the wedge shaped marginal portion of the frame and formed at the other end with a shoulder adapted to engage over the opposite edge portion of the frame, and means providing abutments for the anchors at opposite ends of each group to prevent displacement of the anchors lengthwise of the frame.

4. A rail anchor bundle comprising a supporting frame in the form of a slab of greater length than width provided with a marginal portion of wedge shaped configuration in cross section and provided also with a centrally disposed hand-hold to facilitate carrying the bundle, groups of rail anchors mounted on said frame in balanced relation at opposite sides of said hand-hold, means providin abutments for the anchors at the opposite ends of each group comprising binding wires extending through openings in the frame and traversing the anchors of each group to provide loops engaging the frame member and traversing the anchors to clamp them to the rear face of the frame.

5. A rail anchor bundle comprising a supporting frame comprising a rectangular pieceof wood of greater length than its width, provided with a tapered upper longitudinal edge to provide the frame with a wedge shaped configuration in cross section, groups of anchors arranged in spaced balanced relation in respect to the center portion of the frame and mounted thereon, each anchor device comprising a body portion adapted to bear flat against the rear face of the supporting frame, a hook portion at one end of the body adapted to receive and grippingly engage the wedge shaped upper edge portion of the frame, and a shoulder portion at the other end of the anchor body adapted to fit over and engage the lower edge portion of the frame to lock the anchor in position, and separate attaching means comprising a wire loop extendin lengthwise of the frame at opposite sides thereof and engaging the anchors of a group to clamp them as a group to the rear face of the frame.

FREDERICK A. PRESTON. 

